Strawberries
by lady patronus
Summary: FINISHED! Harry’s run away from the wizarding world after the downfall of Voldemort, disappearing into the muggle world. There, he helps those war weary families to get back onto their feet. Harry meets a little girl named Serena Bethany, who wanders in
1. Prologue:The War

_**A/N:WARNING **this story containes **metions RAPE**. No details though, I assure you..._

_Setting up the scene is utterly dull, but necessary. Things are still a bit slow until the end of the first chapter, but once it picks up, it PICKS UP…_

**-x-**

Strawberries

Prologue: The War

The War had lasted for 3 years. Voldemort had struck in Harry's 6th Year at Hogwarts. It had turned the world up side down. There was chaos an destruction everywhere. Ministry's from all over the world had banned together to stop Voldemort, but they were corrupted. Voldemort had spies all over, in every country, in ever ministry. They fell quickly and the wizarding world was thrown into disarray. There was no commander, no leader. But then suddenly, another force took it's place. A secret fighting force had starting fighting against Voldemort and his followers. Many were quick to join after they had found out. Voldemort was also quick to send spies there, but the secret fighting force had a way of separating out the bad from the good, and with more people on it's side, they had crushed the deatheaters, but there was still one last thing. Voldemort.

Harry Potter had been working with the secret force, who called themselves the Order of the Phoenix, for some years now, but had kept hidden. Voldemort would ultimately win the war if The-Boy-Who-Lived died; so they devised a plan. Meanwhile, Voldemort was left with little followers after the secret force had started killing them off and he found his most loyal turning away from him when he could not promise them power. They ran to the Ministry, claiming to be under the imperious curse. Many were not forgiven, but deatheaters spies in the Ministry, loyal to Voldemort or not, allowed many to walked free.

Finally, in the 3rd year of battle, The-Boy-Who-Lived showed himself. He had dueled with Voldemort, his loyal friends, Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley ever at his side. Both were there when Harry was hit by the Killing Curse, and saw when he fell down and did not get up. They had thought that this was the end, and Hermione and Ron and both sent curses at Voldemort, but their magic, even combined, was weak against him. Instead they did the only thing they could do. They sacrificed themselves to bring Harry back to life. And they did. And with one finally blow, Harry struck down Voldemort and he vanished. But the price had been a great one for Harry. His two best friends; they had been loyal to the end.

And that was it, the war was over. It had been 3 years since the war, and the 26-year-old Harry Potter had nothing left but the world. He played a major role in organizing authority. And although many had asked him to become minister, he declined and then disappeared. No where could the press find Harry Potter, but they knew. They knew he was alive.

Harry had built a shelter after the War for all those who had lost homes or family and just needed a place to stay for a while or for support. He had a wide variety of witches and muggles coming in and seeking help. And then there was also the day care. Prices had risen during the War and it seemed that just breathing was expensive. Many magical folk and muggles had sunk into poverty. But when the War finally ended, things started to return to normal, and so did people. But some people needed more help than others, especially people will small children or expecting. The James Potter day care was a place where the parents could leave their kids and go to work without having to worry about them. Harry had been very keen on making the day care; he didn't want any child to have to grow up being left alone or hungry. He knew what that felt like, growing up the with the Dursely's, even if they were always around to make fun of him, had been lonely. Even at school he had never made any friends; that is, until he went to Hogwarts.

Hogwarts had been torn down by the war. It was a major battle site and many had fallen there: student, teacher,and deatheater. Harry had gone back to look upon his beloved school one last time before disappearing into the muggle world.

The familiar worn stone was crumbling and empty. Row upon row of stair cases led to drop off to nothing, empty air. Windows sat broken, high up on solitary walls; the shattered glass that hung in them reflected how empty it was. The once grand Great Hall was left to nothing, not a piece of ceiling left to show how dark the weather stayed around the place. Fireplaces that had once held cheery fires to warm students were cold and empty, only half of the bricks left. Such a dark desolation hung in the air that even the animals and the creatures in the forest had left.

It had been his place, his home, his sanctuary.

Harry shivered at the though, he couldn't stand to think of the past, of Hogwarts. He thought life was hard then… how naïve he had been.

This War had been all his fault. If the prophecy had never come true, none of this would have happened. Oh, if only Sirius had arrived at the Potter house just a bit sooner on that black night Voldemort came and killed them. And the thought of Sirius too... So much pain and suffering had happened.

Harry had lost practically everyone close to him, and he knew he shouldn't have let them. His parents, his godfather, his two most best and faithful friends, and the million more innocent and guilty people who had been killed. It had all been his fault.

That's why he hid out in his lonely muggle neighborhood with only a few selective people from his stained past who knew where he was. Gone was the heroic boy who had defeated the most hated wizard of all time. He grimaced at the though. How could he be called brave or heroic when all he wanted to do was lay down and die and forget all the pain from his past. He struggled daily just to get out of bed, and with each bridge he passed came the tempted pull of the emptiness of death.

And so was his life.

-x-  
Short and sweet. Fed it to 'ya straight.

•lady incognita•


	2. Strawberry

Strawberries

Strawberry

Harry was staring out the window. He watched as the children ran around on the playground he had built. He had built this building with the help of his friends, away from the wizarding world, and away from his fame, his legend. He just wanted to be finally rid of it. He had done his deed, and it was over; he wanted to be normal.

"Harry, here's you're coffee." An elderly man with a bald spot on top of his head smiled at him holding outa steamingmug ofcoffee.

"Thanks Roger." He took the coffee and sipped it slowly. He turned and walked through the crowd of people in the room. He was greeted at all sides by many different people. He said his hellos, but did not stop to talk to anyone. He walked through glass door and walked past the receptionist.

"Morning Mr. Potter."

"G'morning Victoria."

He turned right and to a brightly colored window. Across the top read the words in bright paints, "The James Potter Day Care Center." Many of the letters were backwards and there were drawings all along the words. He walked in and was greeted by Pavarti.

"Hey Harry, the kids are outside on the playground."

"Thanks Pavarti."

He walked out and onto the deck. Outside there was a girl identical to the girl inside.

"Hello Harry."

"How are the kids today Padma?"

"A little hyper, but other than that, same old same old. There's a new kid here today. Name's Aaron. Over there." She nodded with her head to a small blond child in the corner, sitting by himself with his chin in his hands. Harry walked over to the kid.

"Hey there," he said, sitting next to the drooping child.

"'lo,"the little kidmumbled.

"What's you're name?"

"Aaron," he said, and he whipped his nose on his sleeve. "What's yours?"

"Mine? I'm Harry." And he stuck out his hand. The boy took it rather timidly.

"Come on, let's go join the other kids, huh?"

"Okay." He nodded and followed Harry to the playground.

"Hey guys!" Harry called and he was greeted by a mob little kids stomping and gathering around him.

"It's Harry Potter!"

"Harry!

"Hiya Harry!"

"Hey everyone." There were 20 of them total. "This is Aaron." There were greetings shouted at him, and Aaron smiled.

"Let's play a game! Aaron, what's your favorite game?"

The little boy thought for a moment. "Hide and Go Seek," he said with a nod.

"Who wants to play Hide and Go Seek?"

"Me!"A chorus of kids were shouting, jumping up and down with excitement.

"Who wants to seek?"

"I will!" Shouted a dozen voices. Harry closed his eyes and spun around, his arm pointing out. And when he stopped spinning, it rested on a raven haired girl who's hand was eagerly raised, standing on her tip toes. She squealed with delight and ran to the tree near the middle of the playground. "Base!" she proclaimed. Then she turned to the tree and covered her eyes, she started counting in a loud voice, "1, 2, 3..." The kids squealed and ran around the enclosure, looking for places to hide. Harry went over to sit with Padma on the bench as the watched the kids scatter.

"…28, 29, 30!" She whirled around excitedly and proclaimed, "Ready or not! Here I come!" And she ran around. Harry chuckled at the little girl. He felt something poke him in his back and he turned around. In his seat. A little girl with bright red hair stared back at him.

"Hi S-"

"Shh!" She silenced him with her finger, her two missing teeth making it hard for her. And she ducked back down behind Harry again. The raven haired girl ran passed him, giggling. Suddenly the little red haired girl shot out from behind the bench and ran to the tree.

"Base!" she yelled and suddenly a flock of kids were running toward the base. After the kids had all made their runs at the base, they decided to play on the playground again. But the little red haired girl walked up to Harry and crawled into his lap.

"Daddy!" she squealed.

"Hello Strawberry, did you have fun playing Hide and Go Seek?"

"Yeah!" she exclaimed, bouncing in his lap. Serena Bethany was an odd sort of girl. He reminded him of his mother. Her hair was a bright vivid red, but her eyes were a stormy gray. There was something familiar about her. She had started coming to the center every day from 8:30am and left around 4:30pm. Harry didn't know how she got there, she just showed up there every day. And then Harry told her it was 4:30 and she would walk back out, only to come back the next day at same time. The first day she was there she had been a small, frightened child. She had kept to herself even though Harry had tried several times to get the other kids to play with her. So Harry had stayed with her and kept her company, just talking to her. She had listened, but hardly talked. And when he told her it was 4:30, just before she left she asked Harry," Will you be my daddy?"

"Don't you have a daddy already?"

"No."

"Alright, I'll be you're daddy, as long as it's okay with you're mother..." he chuckled. The next day she was less timid, and the day after that she was accepted as the 'leader' of the pack. Yes, Serena was a strange little girl. He gave her the nickname 'Strawberry' because of her red hair and her initials, S.B.

"What's up Strawberry?"

"My mommy was crying this morning. I don't know why though, she wouldn't tell me."

"I'm sure she'll be okay Strawberry. Why don't you make her a get well card, so she'll feel better?"

"Yeah!" She jumped off his lap and tugged him by the hand back into the day care. She sat Harry down at one of those really small tables and went around collecting supplies. And when her arms couldn't carry anything any more she dumped everything out on the table and started drawing. Harry grabbed a piece of paper and started drawing random things on his paper as well.

Soon the kids came in too and they asked what we Serena was doing, and she told them that her mom was sad and that she was making her a get well card. And soon she had the whole gang making cards for her mother. She was one of the few kids who could say 'I'm not afraid of anything,' and mean it. She was a leader, but it puzzled Harry why she was timid she first came here. When they had and meet with other people she wasn't scared at all.

It was almost 4:30, and they were all back outside again, the pile of get well cards tucked neatly in her little cubby hole.

"Strawberry?" he called on the playground. She suddenly appeared, zooming right by him. Another blond boy was running after her with a stick in his hand, giggling. "Strawberry! It's almost 4:30!" he called after her.

She was crying as she ran, the boy behind her didn't seem to notice, he thought they were playing 'chase.'

"Go away! Go away!" she was screaming at the top of her lungs.

Serena was running towards him again and she jumped into his arms, "Up, up!" she tugged desperately on his arms. He lifted her up and the little boy clawed at her feet, making roaring noises.

"David, stop. She doesn't want to play that anymore."

"Okay." And he ran off, carrying his stick.

She was hysterical, and Harry was unsure why. She was not one to cry.

"Shh, shh. It's okay, you're daddy's here," he cooed. She gave a small hiccup but continued crying. Harry sat down on the bench and cradled her in his arms. "Shh! It's okay my Strawberry," he comforted her.

"Did you want to tell me what happened?" She shook her head into his neck.

"If you would, it might help?" She pulled back and looked up with a tear stained face.

"I can't," she whispered.

"Why?"

"Because then the Dragon will come get me…" And she buried her face into his shoulder again.

It was already 4:45. Harry took her over to the day care center and picked up her things from her cubby hole, making sure that the pile stayed nice and neat with a rubber band. He carried all her things out the door she usually exited by, but didn't know where to go from there.

"Where does you're mom pick you up?"

"She doesn't."

"You walk here from home?"

"Yes."

"Where do you live?"

"234 Poland Drive, number 3."

"Okay." He walked down the block, carrying her. It was only a couple of blocks away. They reached a shabby, run down apartment complex and he went up the stairs and rang the doorbell.

"She's not there," she whispered. Harry was shocked, it was illegal to leave a child at her age alone at home.

"She comes home at 5:30," she said in a timid voice.

"Do you have a way of getting in?"

She pulled a pink key chain out of her pocket, and on it was a solitary key. Harry slipped it into the key hole and opened the door. To the right was a small living room and to the left was a even smaller kitchen. In the corner of the living room there was a hall way, where Harry assumed there was a bathroom and a bedroom.. Harry set her down on the couch and he sat beside her.

"Did you want me to stay here until you're mum gets home?"

She nodded, and wiped her nose with her sleeve. Harry handed her a tissue and she took it, blowing her nose.

"Do you have any food in the kitchen?"

"Mom usually doesn't cook, there's usually take out in the fridge."

"Are you every hungry?"

"No, mommy makes sure of that. She says she never wants me to be poor."

"Why don't I surprise you're mommy and make a home cooked dinner?"

"Yeah!" Her mood suddenly brightened. "Can I help?"

"Sure," he said and she rolled up her sleeves and washed her hands. She was eager to do anything. Harry started cutting up tomatoes and things and he let her dump it into the pot. As he was finishing the cooking up, she set the table.

There was a sudden jingle of keys.

The door creaked opened, but not all the way.

"Who's there?"

"It's me mommy... and daddy!"

"Oh, Merlin," she breathed, and there was the sound of a clicking, and then she stormed in, a gun raised, pointed at Harry.

"Holy-"

"Dra-" she cut her word short when she saw Harry standing there.

"Put that thing down! There's a 6-year-old child here!"

"She witness worse," shesnapped sharply. Harry couldn't really see her face, it was obscured by a black hood. Harry didn't have a choice, he raised his wand.

"Now, I don't really want to have to perform magic here..."

"A Wizard, eh? Well I find that wands can be quiet useless when it comes to killing people."

"Well, that's true, I mean, I would know, technically I've been killed twice in my life time. "

"That's not what I'm talking about." She took a step closer, pointing the wand at his forehead, where his hair was plastered onto his foreheadwith sweat. "You see, the Ministry can track you down when you've used a killing curse, but the muggle police, well... They're just too stupid."

"I'm sorry I'm in you're house, I was just taking Serena home and she said that you usually have take out so I thought that-"

"Serena, who is this person?" She said interrupted, never taking her eyes off of Harry.

"Daddy," she answered as if it were the most obvious answer in the world.

She fired the gun.

**_-x-  
I'm going through this story again, so just slight revisions are being made-- nothing big. I'm noticing how choppy and unrealisitic the speech is though... But again, I'm not making any major revisons..._**

**_patronus_**


	3. The Second Strawberry

Strawberries

The Second Strawberry

He groaned, and turning over, hefound himself in a bed. He reached for his forehead. He felt a throbbing pain there. He half expected to feel a hole in his head, but all his fingers ran over was his infamous scar.

Outside he heard the sound of clinking, like silverware on plates and voices. Harry got up slowly; pain beat at his head andhis vision went hazy for a minute. When things finally swam back into focus,he picked himself up and dragged himself out of the room. He went left down the hall way and entered the living room and saw the two red heads eating at the counter.

Serena looked up as he entered. "You're alive!" She stared in awe.

"Um… Yup." He rubbed his eyes and ran his hand through his hair, he felt sore all over and it appeared in his movements.

One day I'll actually die, he thought to himself.

"Wow, déjà vu," the mother stated. Harry looked at her. She looked so familiar, just like his mother or-

"Ginny?!?!"

"Hello, Harry."

Harry had stood there for what seemed like an eternity, all thought of pain gone and out the window.

"Ginny?" he took a step closer, his footing unsure.

"Ginny?" he picked up her hand and examined it as if there would be a tag saying 'Ginerva Weasley' on it. Harry pulled back.

"Ginny!"

"You sound like a broken record," she sniffed, turgid emotions in both of them as the drew unsteady breaths.

"Strawberry?"

"Yes?" Both of them answered, but Ginny was the only one to have tears start to silently fall down her face.

"Wait-" started Serena.

"Strawberry, that was my nickname for your mother when we were growing up." They stared at each other, delighted at the memory.

"You guys knew each other when you were young?"

"Are you kidding me!" exclaimed Harry, "She's my best mate's sister."

Serena just sat there,stunned.

Words came spilling out of Harry, a sudden waterfall he was unable to hold back, "Why didn't you ever return home? You know they're looking for you. Did you hear about Fred and George? They're-"

"Don't tell me!" she yelled, and covered her ears, shaking. After several moments, silent except for the sound of Ginny's ragged breath she whimpered, "Don't tell me."

"Ginny? Ginny, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing," she said, composing herself again, and wiped away the tears, and the nostalgic feelings coming to a screeching halt. "We can talk about that later, okay Harry?" And she dismissed the topic. Harry frowned, he knew something was wrong.

-x-

Harry was tucking Serena into bed. "You know Serena, I think you look just like your mom!" She grinned sleepily. "G'night daddy," she whispered.

"G'night Strawberry." He kissed her on the forehead, and she kissed his cheek and he tucked the blankets closer around her.

"Your turn." Harry passed Ginny by the door, which she had been peeking through. She slipped in and kissed Serena, "Goodnight my angel," Ginny whispered.

"G'night Strawberry," Serena replied sleepily. Harry stifled a laugh as Ginny turned out the light and closed the door.

"She called you Strawberry," Harry laughed softly.

"Only because you did." She smiled up at him. "It's so good to see you again Harry."

He crossed his arms. "Now, you're going to tell me what happened after all this mess of a war started."

She looked uncomfortable. "Harry, not here, it's a long story..." She sounded very tired all of the sudden.

"I've got all night, and longer if it takes."

She sighed and walked back into the kitchen. She started cleaning up the mess. She didn't say anything. Harry thought she wasn't going to say anything at first.

"I was captured… when there was a raid at Hogwarts, one of the Death Eaters captured me and held me captive, and three years later I escaped. "

Harry looked a little stunned at such a sudden, short explanation, but he began to think. "But- Serena is already 6-years-old. You certainty didn't have her while you were at Hogwarts, that means that-"

"It means-!" she hissed at him, and then she composed herself and finished in a calmer voice, "It means what you think it means." She looked stunned she had said it out loud and turned back to her work.

Harry didn't say anything for a couple of minute, then, "So who's the father?"

"Nobody," she said shortly.

"Who?" he persisted.

"Gadammit! Harry does it matter?" She started yelling, "I just want to forget it all, and that's why I haven't been back to see my family! I'm so ashamed of myself! I practically LET him…" Her voice trailed off.

"Ginny! You can't blame yourself! You were only- what, sixteen years old?"

"But I got pregnant didn't I! I didn't fight hard enough if I got pregnant!" She looked furious at herself.

"Ginny how can you say that, the guy must have been older and stronger than you- not that you're weak or anything, but a full grown man against a sixteen-year-old! The odds are the man would win-"

"And what about you. You were only eighteen when you defeated Voldemort! He's like a thousand!" She sounded delirious.

"That's not the point, and besides I had some of his power."

"But you still did it! You still defeated him!" she wailed.

"Ginny, let's just not talk about that part okay?"

"Yes," she nodded. "Yes, good idea." She turned away.

"I should take you to your family." Harry tried to keep at baythe awkward silence he knew would follow.

"No," she whirled around again, her face fearful. "Anything but. I'd rather be pregnant again rather then go face my family right now." She looked like she was about to break down and cry, desperate whimpering noises were coming from her.

"Okay, okay." He gave her a hug, calming her, banishing her fears, and she shivered under his embrace. "Not yet."

After a few minutes in silence, Harry pulled back and started to talk again. "Serena was acting weird today." He walked around the small kitchen and started to help clean up. "She was crying and running away from a little boy." He looked up at her and saw her watching him intently, he continued. "When I asked her about it she said that she couldn't tell me because the 'Dragon' would get her." He looked at her again. "Do you know what that means?"

Ginny didn't answer right away, she had a sad, calculating look in her eyes. She seemed far away. Then she finally answered, "No, no I don't know what that means."

**-x-**

Ok, you smart mathematicians, you caught me… I can't to math for $#¡↑ (I can hardly spell, bows down to the spell checker). So right now, I'm raking me brain trying to figure out how old everybody is now…

But I cant guarantee I'll fix anything, (see, I'm not very smart, no sir-ee) so after I try to fix it, you're all welcome to yell at me again and tell me how stupid I am;)

Have a nice day!

•patronus


	4. Strike of the Dragon

Strawberries

Strike of the Dragon

Harry arrived home after another day at the day care. He threw his keys on the counter, grabbed a soda out of the fridge, and flopped down on the couch in his living room. He lay there in a daze, listlessly staring at the ceiling. He didn't know how he survived day to day.

The door bell rang. Harry groaned, but reluctantly got up and answered the door.

"Serena?" Harry looked down at the little girl.

She stared down at the ground, quietly, very much unlike Serena. "The Dragon found us," she said softly. She rubbed her toe into the concrete. "Mommy told me to go down the fire escape and go to your house."

He ushered her inside, peeking around before closing the door. He gently pushed he into the kitchen, sitting her down and getting her a soda.

"What happened?"

She began slowly, "The Dragon came. Mommy and him were arguing as usual." She wouldn't look at him in the face. "I was hiding in my room and Mommy told me that if he was ever to come and find us I should get out without being seen and run. After you 'n mommy found each other again, she told me that if he were ever to come that I go to your house and that if Dragon ever found me, never to tell him I knew you at all." She whipped her nose.

Harry took this all in. He assumed that the "Dragon" was the deatheater who had captured her during the War. The clock ticked out time loudly in the quiet room.

"Who's the Dragon?"

"I dunno," she replied. "Mommy just calls him the Dragon, andwhen ever he comes I'm either hiding or running away. Mommy tells me not to look at him."

Harry felt frustrated, not at Serena of course, but the fact that this didn't lead to any clues as to who the deatheater was.

She looked at Harry, tears in her eyes. She looked frightened. "Mommy was screaming while I ran away." She broke into tears. Harry held her, comforting the terrified 6-year-old girl who had been put through so much at such a young age. It broke his heart, it was as if it had been ripped out of his lungs and thrown across the room. An anger bubbled up inside him, who was be so evil as to torture a little girl such as this. There was no words he could scream or curse he could throw that would calm his heart.

The deatheater would pay, he would make sure of it.

"I'm sure you're mommy will be okay. She knows how to take care of herself." But when he said, it was more to convince himself rather to then reassure Serena.

-x-

Serena had fallen asleep in front of the T.V. when the doorbell rang. It was almost 1. Harry looked through the peep hole and saw nobody there. Cautiously he opened the door, hand at his wand in his pocket, ready.

Suddenly there was a movement and Ginny was there, sitting on the concrete steps up to his front door. Her clothes were in disarray, her hair messy, her skin bruised and lying next to her was an invisibility cloak.

"Oh, my god, Ginny!" His voice barelyraised above a whisper as he surveyed her.

"Is she there?" she asked, quietly, not meeting his face, her hair covering her eyes that Harry knew were tear stained.

"Yes, yes, she's here." He closed the door and bent down and sat next to her, wrapping his coat around her, and pulled her to him. They sat in silence as he rocked her back and forth, and she cried silently into him.

"What happened?"

"_He_ came," was all she whispered.

"Who?"

She looked up, eyes full of pain, a bruise on her cheek and once eye black. "The Dragon," Her eyes were full of earnest.

"Who?" He asked her more forcefully.

She looked down, and her hair fell in front of her face, hiding it from view.

"I should probably start from the beginning," she whispered.

-x-

Harry had tucked Serena into his bed, and after both grownups had kissed her goodnight, they sat down in the kitchen to talk.

Ginny stared down at the wood of the table, and took a deep breath.

"It was only about a week after you had left to go to the Order of the Phoenix headquarters. Deatheaters stormed Hogwarts. Of course they had inside help."

She looked up. "Most of the Slytherins helped. And of course Draco in charge of the student deatheaters." She gave a slight hiccupping noise, but after another deep breath continued. "They tore down the school, and some deatheaters though it would be fun to pick up a couple of girls." She turned away. "As you can guess, I was one of them.

"I was dueling with this one deatheater and I was grabbed from behind. A gag was thrown over my mouth and a blindfold placed over my eyes. They carried me away, I knew they did because I felt I was outside and it was much quieter. I tried to get away, but they were much bigger then me. They tied up to a tree and I heard other girls nearby crying out for help." Ginny stayed strong as she told her story, she looked Harry right in the eyes, her voice hardly wavering.

"Next thing I knew I felt myself being transporter somewhere else by portkey. I knew there were other girls with me, and I recognized most of them. They were in their upper years." Her voice trailed off. Harry knew this must have been hard for her.

"Then they separated us, and I was locked in a room and unblindfolded. I stayed in there for a couple of weeks, they didn't feed me very much. Sometimes I heard screaming that would last for hours and hours." Tears were starting to fall. "I though they were going to kill me. I though they had already killed the others." She looked at her lap, unable to look at Harry in the eyes anymore.

"I was one of the lucky ones, I was a pureblood." She tried desperately to wipe away her tears, but continued, "They didn't touch me for weeks after the raid. It was probably a couple of months before they started to grow tired of the muggle borns. So finally they took me out of the cell and took me to another room. I waited on hand and foot on deatheaters and they cast the imperious curse on me. I couldn't remember what I did then, though I could probably figure." She sniffed. Harry admired her for staying so strong while she told him. He wanted her to stop talking, just so she wouldn't go through anymore pain.

"Ginny," he whispered, "you don't have to say anything more, I understand,"

"No, no--" She looked back up at him. "I'm not finished."

She looked back down at her lap as she continued, "When I awoke after under the imperious curse, I was all beaten and bloody. But that wasn't the worst part--" She paused. "I wasn't able to fight then. I was put in another room, this time it was much nicer. There was a bed, and clothes and food." She bit her lip, looking up, trying to stop her tears from falling, but to no avail.

"I stayed in there a couple of days after that, nobody disturbed me. Then one day Voldemort himself came in." Her voice cracked. She sat there crying and crying, and Harry tried to comfort her. He cradled her, holding her until she calmed down again.

"After he left more men came in... thenLucius Malfoy came." Her voice broke, but she continued, quieter this time. "And then later, Draco Malfoy came in." She looked fearfully up at him in his arms.

"Many more men came in, and it was only a few weeks later that I knew I was pregnant. But I had been with so many men I didn't know who the father was!" She sobbed into his chest, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't hold her so that her pain would pass. He kissed her forehead, and murmured calming things into her hair.

"Once I knew I was pregnant, they stopped coming. I stayed in that room for several more months. And other girls came in with me, they helped me while I was giving birth. I was able to have a few months of bliss alone with only those girls and my baby. But then the baby got sick." She gulped as she talked, but she didn't stop. "The baby died, my poor baby died." And again she broke down.

"Was it a boy or a girl?" He asked her, trying to distract her.

"It was a boy. I never did know who the father was, I just knew he had brown hair and brown eyes. I named him Weasley." She hiccupped at the name. "We called him Lee for short..." She gave a slight smile at the memory, "I never did give him a last name, just Weasley. But there were another baby before I had Serena. That one was a boy also, and I named him…" She looked up into his eyes, a smile on her face. "I named him Harry, after you."

Harry felt touched she had named her baby Harry. He planted a kiss on her cheek and hugged her. By now tears were also running down his face, but he broke into a smile. After a few minutes of silence, Harry though she wouldn't continue, and he didn't press her.

But she did. "During the births and the deaths, men came in. I had three specific one's though. Voldemort and the two Malfoy's. Voldemort was always the worse though." He felt her shiver slightly. "He would always talk to me beforehand. He always said we had a special connection, some of my life force was in him." She pressed herself against Harry harder. "And Draco was always the nicest, of course if you could call rape nice," she spat. "He did try to console me a little bit, I guess he felt sort of guilty. He told me that he was the one who had come up behind me and blindfolded me and gagged me. He told me I was the most unfortunate of the girls because Voldemort only came to me. And then there was Lucius. " She suddenly climbed out of his embrace, and sat on a chair beside him.

"I was able to escape with Serena. After the War, the father came looking for us."

She shook violently, her hands clentched. "The father was Lucius Malfoy."

-x-

**HAH! Had you all fooled didn't I? You thought it had been Draco! But perhaps this changes your whole view on the story... But perhaps there will be more twists to come! Keep reading! You might be surprised!**

**patronus**


	5. Reunited

Strawberries

Reunited

"Harry," Ginny stuttered as they came to a stop in front of the house, "Harry, I really don't want to do this… How will they react when they find out they now have relations with the Malfoy's?"

"Just don't worry about it. Everything will be alright. Let me do the talking…"

Ginny, Serena, and Harry got out of the car. Ginny stood, clutching Serena's hand, staring at the house. This house had been her home; this was her's. 

"Harry, I can't do it, I just can't," She turned away opening the car door.

"Ginny, Ginny, they will find out sooner or later. I'm pretty sure that they'd rather hear it from you then from Lucius," That made Ginny stop.

She sat there trembling, half in the car and half out. 

"It's going to be okay Mommy," Serena stated. 

Ginny stared at her in disbelief, "Serena, Serena, you don't know them like I do, how do you know it's going to be alright?"

"Because Daddy said so," Serena stood there innocently, it was amazing how this naive little girl could affect her mother.

Ginny smiled a sweet smile, "You're right," she said. She stood up and closed the car door. Harry made a gesture for her to move in front of her, and she quailed.

"Harry, please say you'll stay with me,"

"Always," he took the her hand in his and kissed it tenderly, "Always," This gave her courage and she took a hesitant step forward.

It took them a while to get to the front for of the house, but they did it. And Ginny stood in front of the door a few minutes, just contemplating the though of seeing her family again.

"What will they think of me?" she wondered aloud.

"They won't," Harry said, "They'll just be so glad you're alive."

Ginny's hand paused in front of the door, and then she knocked. 

A second where nothing happened, another second when you could here footsteps, and then…

"Harr-" The red haired Mrs. Weasley opened the door, smiling. But she stopped short when she saw the woman accompanying the long time family friend.

"Merlin," she uttered, she started to fall, and Harry caught her, staggering under her sudden, unexpected weight. 

"Well, I wasn't expecting that!" Harry said, laughing. Ginny smiled, weakly.

"Molly? Molly?" Mr. Weasley suddenly appeared, he rushed to his wife's side and took her from Harry.

"Harry what-" he too stopped short when he saw Ginny. Harry saw the sudden surprise, and then the realization break upon him.

"Ginny…" he murmured. All thought of his wife gone, but he couldn't move because to embrace her because of his wife's great weight. Instead of rushing to hug her, he called all the family over, and Ginny backed away slightly when he did, cowering behind Harry, "Bill! Charlie! Fred, George! Anybody! Everybody!" 

He took a deep breath, saying it at last, "Ginny's alive,"

***

With that there was a sudden uproar in the house, Ginny, Harry, and Serena were all ushered into the house, and many tears shed. Ginny and Mrs. Weasley crying hardest of all. It was awkward, something was missing. Harry realized that there was a Weasley missing. He then remembered that it had been his best friend, Ron; and Hermione's disappearance didn't go unnoticed either. All felt it, but none spoke of it. It was a painful memory that they wished not to dwell on; and for Ron's sake, his last dying words, his last wish, they didn't want to cry for him. 

Harry held Serena, who has clinging to his waist, shy and unnerved by all the tears of these identical people. She took even more surprise at how her mother greatly resembled them. 

This was her family.

"Mum, Dad, everyone," by now they had all settled in front of the warm fireplace, and Ginny felt the rush of long forgotten familiarity and comfort wash upon her, "I want you all to meet someone…" she grasped the shy Serena's hand and pulled her in front of her. The family sat, eyes wide, at the little girl who looked exactly like her mother had when she was at that age. "This is Serena," she paused, dreading to say it, "my daughter," 

There was a silence.

"Merlin," Mrs. Weasley whispered, "Ginny-"

Ginny recoiled, and Harry stood up beside her, protecting her. Mr. Weasley was surprised at how well they all fit together. Harry behind Ginny, his arm resting comfortingly on her shoulder, and then Ginny's hands on Serena's shoulder; they looked like a family.

"Ginny… my little girl; my little girl's a mum!" Mrs. Weasley held out her arms and embraced Ginny, and they cried into each other, happy tears of motherhood, and sad tears of reunion they thought would never come. 

Again there was another teary period, and even Crookshanks, who had come to live with the Weasley's, seemed to be mewing in the nostalgia of it. 

And after it seemed nobody could cry any more tears, Mrs. Weasley broke away, "This calls for a celebration!" she hurried into the kitchen, tears still falling down her face, to cook up a welcome home dinner.

***

"Mum," she paused, tears coming on again from the word, " You've out done yourself," They sat down in the garden under the starlit sky, a long table filled with food; the table groaning from under the weight. Music and laughter filled the air, and the garden was lit by candles and a roaring fire nearby. It seemed that this had been the way things had always been; laughter and good times.

They celebrated long into the night. Serena ran around with Bill's daughter, Elizabeth; though the mom, Fluer Delacour, absent. There was also Charlie's kids, a boy, and Fred and George's kids, 4 boys- two pairs of twins, and a girl. Harry laughed at the antics of the four twins; it was a war between them, who could outsmart the other pair, who was funnier, who was grosser. Harry felt at ease.

Ginny, however, was the opposite. She felt very awkward around her family. She didn't know what to do with her hands, she acted polite- but formally; 6 years apart had built a gap between it. But as the night went on, the gap slowly filled and she relaxed. 

They were to sleep at the Weasley's already crowded house. Ginny slept in her old bed, and Serena beside her, all the other families slept in their respective rooms, and Harry slept in Ron's old bedroom. Finally at 3am, the house was quiet. Harry lay in bed, his arms behind his head, thinking. As happy as he knew Ginny was tonight, she seemed separate from her family. She had been through so much in those 6 years; alone, and then to be welcomed back into loving arms was slightly overwhelming.

Harry listened to the house settling. The crickets outside hummed harmonically.

Harry heard an out of placed squeak ring out. There was a slight pause and then another one, and this repeated; footsteps. 

Harry glanced at the door. He saw the knob turning quietly, and the door push open. A mane of bright hair peeked out from the crack in the door. 

"Harry?" it was very quiet, as if testing the waters.

"I'm awake," he answered.

The door opened and Ginny stood in the doorway; ethereal in her soft blue nightgown, bathed in the moonlight; a deathless goddess. She closed the door softly behind her, and sat on the bed beside him. 

"Where's Serena?" he asked softly.

"Sleeping," she answered, "running around with the kids must have worn her out," Ginny smiled.

Harry's eyes asked her why she was here.

"I couldn't sleep," 

Harry patted the bed next to him, and she rolled onto the bed next to him. They lay there in silence, side by side, each to their own thoughts.

"You did it," Harry said.

"Did what?" she turned to him.

"You survived," he stared at the ceiling, "you came back to you're family after all these years."

Ginny didn't respond right away, "it was hard," she said thoughtfully. 

"Hard?" asked Harry, he turned on his side to face her, "Ginny, you've been through so much- too much," his eyes had a pained look in it.

"I have, haven't I?" she looked thoughtful again, "Serena's been through so much."

"I know," Harry's anger suddenly flared, "I'm going to kill that bastard…" he said.

"Harry, you're turning into Ron," she half smiled. There was a period of silence again, then, "I'm scared," Ginny whispered.

"Why?"

"Because of Lucius, of what my family would say if they found out, for Serena," she closed her eyes, willing the tears not to fall; she had cried enough tonight, and now would be the worst time to start up again. A whimper escaped.

"Don't cry Ginny," he swept in into a hug, and she let the tears flow against his chest.

"I don't mean to- I don't. But I'm afraid,"

"I'll protect you," he kissed her hair.

"My hero," she let out a hiccup, and smiled.

"Me? A hero? Get out," he chuckled softly.

"You are Harry. You were always too…. Good. It was kinda creepy."

He chuckled, "And you're my Strawberry," he murmured into her hair, relishing in it's silkiness and it's 'Ginny' smell.

"You've got two Strawberries now!"

"My Strawberries…" 

Ginny looked up and Harry's sleeping face, "Harry?"

"Yes Ginny?" his eyes opened. Ginny stared back into his clear, startling green eyes.

"Thanks for staying with me,"

"Always, always," he kissed her forehead, his eyes closing.

But then Ginny suddenly leaned up and their lips collided. Harry responded by kissing back tenderly. Ginny relished in his scent and soft lips, and was disappointed when he pulled away.

"Ginny-"

"No, it's okay. I understand," she moved to leave. But he kept his arms locked firmly around her, "That's not what I meant. Don't go," he whispered. She didn't move for a second, but then slid back into his embrace, feeling very safe against him.

"Just now's not the time," he murmured.

"Goodnight Strawberry," 

"Goodnight Hero,"

***

When Harry awoke he found himself against the wall. And when he rolled over slightly he ran into a very small figure. 

During the night, Serena had wedged herself between Ginny and him, and she was breathing lightly, her thumb half falling out of her open mouth. 

Harry thought about the position they were in. He didn't think it would be good for the Weasley's to wake up and find all three of them in the same bed. Especially since they had just been reunited with Ginny last night. He didn't think it would make a good impression. 

But he didn't want to move, first of all he would wake them up, and secondly, he was comfortable in the warm sheets. 

So he lay there, staring at the two red heads sleeping next to him. He listened for any sounds of anyone awake. He suspected that Mrs. Weasley was already awake, cooking up another storm. There was a clanging downstairs that suddenly rang out in the silent house. 

Harry was sure that had woken others. Ginny had suddenly opened her eyes. They fell upon Serena, and then to Harry who had been staring at her. 

He smiled and looked down at Serena, finding the little girl completely adorable.

"'Morning" he mouthed, and she mouthed it back to him. Serena stirred, making slight winning noises. Her thumb popped back into her mouth and she opened her eyes. She saw the two adults on either side of her, and took her thumb out of her mouth quickly. 

"Hello," she said quietly, still groggy.

The two grownups laughed, and Harry tickled Serena and Ginny quickly joined in. Serena squealed , but Harry quickly cupped a hand over her mouth.

"Maybe it isn't good for you two to be found here right now," he whispered. 

"Yeah, probably," Ginny whispered back.

Serena nodded, following the two's example. 

"Come on Serena," Ginny stood up and picked up Serena. 

Harry got up and quietly opened the door, peeking out. Empty, but he could here movement in the other rooms. Ginny stepped out into the hall. She opened the door to her room and stepped in, closing it behind her, but not before giving Harry a smile. 

Harry stood there in the hall with a t-shirt and boxers on, a goofy grin on his face. The door to Fred's room opened and the man himself stepped out. He passed by Harry, on his way to the bathroom, both of them just up from bed, messy haired. Fred stared groggily at him and then patted him on the shoulder, "You're lucky it's early mate. For one, I'll forget about this later, and two, it's too early to bash you're eyes back into your sockets." Then he continued down the hall and into the bathroom, closing the door. Harry stayed there for a minute or two more before going back into his room to change. 

***

After another wonderful meal, Ginny, Harry, and Serena departed. Harry drove them back home, smiling as he listened to Ginny answering all of Serena's questions about her new family. He helped them with their stuff back into their new apartment, which was not to far away from Harry's own flat. Then he left them and went back to his own home. 

He trudged back in and stood there in a daze at the kitchen counter. When he finally snapped out of it, he took a shower and got ready before heading down to the shelter, to interview Ginny for her new job.


	6. The Party

Strawberries

The Party

There was a huge celebration in which people from Harry's 6th year and Ginny's 5th year in Gryffindor was invited. At least, the people who were left. It was a celebration welcoming Ginny home and Serena's 7th birthday. 

"Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday Serena! Happy Birthday to you!" The whole of the party sang and cheered and clapped when the song was done. There were encouraging shouts for Serena to make a wish. She contorted her face in thought as she thought of a wish. Then she took a deep breath and blew out the candles. 

Cake was served and there was the buzz of talk in the air. Kids ran around chasing each other through the peoples legs. People were laughing and greeting one another.

Ginny wandered around greeting old friends who welcomed her back with warm hugs. They all asked where she had been but she waved them off, avoiding the answer. 

Now she stood quietly under a tree away from the crowd. She watched them and remembered the days of Hogwarts and when she was happy. Right now she missed Ron and Hermione terribly. And them not being able to be here saddened her. She took a sip of her punch.

"Ginny," arms came around her and she jumped up and spilled her drink on herself in surprise. 

"Harry! Don't do that!" she hit his arm and whipped out her wand, uttering a cleaning charm. 

"How are you Ginny?"

"Fine. Good. Why?"

"Well, you're hanging around here all by yourself when your party is over there," he wrapped his arms around her from behind and hugged her.

"Well, why can't I be over here?"

"Well, you can if you want,"

"Yes, that's what I want," 

"Well, I guess it makes this all the easier,"

"What?" She turned around in his arms, a question in her eyes.

"For this," he kissed her softly, tenderly, "Ginny, I love you," he murmured to her.

"Oh, Harry. I love you too," 

He smiled, "I know," He pulled out of his pocket a gold bracelet encrusted with diamonds. She gasped, and he smiled.

"Harry, you really didn't-"

"I know," he cut her off, "But I did," he slid the bracelet onto her delicate wrist. She moved her arm, the diamonds caught the sunlight and threw rainbows about them.

"Harry," she cooed, she bent her head and kissed him and he kissed her back, wrapping his arms around her.

"And what are you two lovebirds doing all the way over here?" A thick voice, heavy with accent suddenly broke the moment.

Harry looked up to see Seamus wagging his eyebrows at him, "Go away Seamus," Harry said.

"Having your little moment there with Ginny eh?"

"Seamus, if you don't go away I'll curse you to hell and back,"

"All right! All right! Maybe I'll just give Mr. and Mrs. Weasley a little heads up, you know. They'd probably want to know if… something was happening, between their little red head and The-Boy-Who-Lived eh?"

"Blackmail," Harry whipped out his wand and turned him into a ferret and bounced him into the tree, "Thanks Moody," he said to the sky, saluting to his dead friend. And he and Ginny walked back down to the party, leaving Seamus to find his way back down.

***

"Daddy!" Serena ran towards Harry and jumped into his arms. 

"Are you having fun my little Strawberry?"

"Yeah! But I have to show you something!" She jumped down and pulled him through the crowd. They made their way down into the shadow of the Weasley house and Serena took off her necklace.

"Here," she held it out to him.

He let it drop into his hand, "What is it?"

"It's my locket. Mommy gave it to me when I was born. Look inside!"

Harry carefully opened the locket and saw his reflection staring back at him. 

"If you talk into it, you can talk to me," she said, pulling out another locket from her pocket and putting it on." Harry remembered Sirius' mirror.

"Wow, thank you Serena! I have something for you too! But it's inside. I'll just go in and get it, okay?"

"Okay Daddy! I'm going to find Mommy,"

"Alright," He hugged her and then went inside to find her gift.

***

Ginny was sitting under the tree again. She twirled her lit wand in her fingers. It was already dark and the candles were lit again. There was a roaring bonfire in the middle of the garden. Ginny watched as the people danced around the fire. She stood up and played around with her wand, twirling it. Throwing it up into the air and catching it. From afar, it looked like a firefly dancing. 

Suddenly an arm grabbed her around her waist. She dropped her wand and wriggled playfully in the persons grasp.

"Harry, I told you not to do that!"

"Ah, but that's the thing, you told Harry," Draco's deep voice whispered to her ear. She made to scream but he had already thrown a hand over her mouth. She struggled and kicked him. He laughed at her attempts to break free, but he was much stronger then her. She did succeed in kicking him in the right place, but he only let go for a moment. She reached for her wand, but she was pulled back by him again.

"I don't think so missy. You're coming with me!" 

She bit down on his hand and again he let go for a moment.

"Never!" She kicked and struggled against him, and screamed out. But again she was silenced by his hand. She could taste his blood from where she bit him.

"But I do think so. You see, I have some information I think you will find very interesting…" He laughed a deep resounding laugh that scared away the birds in the tree; their wing beats very loud against the silence around them. Nobody from the party heard, for they were too far away.

Draco pulled his cloak around them and they disappeared. 

But before they did, Ginny slipped of her new bracelet and it fell to the grass silently. 

And then they were gone.


	7. The Dragon

The Dragon  
  
  
She seemed to be flying. Her arms were out stretched as if reaching for unreachable things. She didn't recall if there was a broom, or if someone had enchanted her to fly. She just was.   
  
But instead of the freedom she felt every time she lifted into the air, she felt a sense of foreboding. She resisted moving forward, somehow trying to move back. But she couldn't. She flew into a gray haze, obscuring her vision, making her eyes blur, confusing and frightening her. The haze engulfed her and suffocated her. She felt as if it was closing around her heart, tightening it's cold grip. There was a sudden pain as it suddenly gripped hard. She couldn't breath. She needed air, oxygen, anything to fill her lungs and push away the gray clutching her heart. She felt her breathing slow and stop. She didn't know how she was feeling her heart stop. But she was. She seemed not to be in her body now, but looking down at it. Her limp figure seemed to be falling through the gray and down toward oblivion. And just before she thought she was going to hit the ground she awoke.  
  
Her eyes shot open, and she let out a muffled gasp. Her breath was ragged and sweat was pouring down her face. She had had the dream before. It always brought her to tears, and now the tears she knew would follow, fell. She blinked them, trying in vain to make them go away.  
  
"Nightmare?"  
  
Ginny whirled around to the sound of the voice. The low, menacing, seductive voice. She didn't see anyone in the room. The fire in the fireplace crackled in the quietness. The arm chair that was facing the fire, away from her, was occupied, but she couldn't see the person. She recognized the voice, but was unsure as to which of the two he was. She hoped desperately it was the younger, though ultimately she wished it wasn't happening the first place and that she was back at the burrow with Harry and Serena.   
  
But she suddenly had doubts. Sometimes she wished Serena hadn't been born. Because if she hadn't been born, then this mess wouldn't have happened in the first place. She wouldn't be chased around by the Malfoy's looking for his daughter, or his sister. And though sometimes these dark thoughts filled her head, she loved the little girl none the less and always would.  
  
  
"Who are you? Show yourself!"  
  
"Now, now. You're in my house, I could make this much more difficult if I really wanted to," chains suddenly appeared and wrapped around her, strapping her to the floor where she had been lying.  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
"I want my daughter,"  
  
"You will never have her Lucius!"  
  
"Who said I was Lucius?" Draco suddenly stood up and leered down at her.  
  
"You are clearly confused. The charm clearly said Lucius Malfoy was the father,"  
  
He scoffed, "Charms can easily be fooled," he strolled around her and went to a little table where there was a bottle of amber liquid and several expensive looking shot glasses.  
  
"What are you saying?"  
  
"Do I really have to spell it out for you, Ginny love? Honestly, you're much smarter then that," he bent down in front of her, and tapped her on the cheek, much harder then a regular tap.  
  
"Well I'm not. So please by all means... spell it to me,"   
  
He stood up, holding up his glass as if examining it. It turned an even brighter color by the fire. Draco took a vile out of his pocket and held it out in front of her.  
  
"This is veritaserum," he stated. He took the vile and poured 3 drops into the glass, "Now, what ever comes out of my mouth you will have to believe, because I know that if I said it without the potion, you wouldn't even consider a word I said true."  
  
"Then how can i know it's veritaserum?"  
  
Draco threw the rest of the bottle into the fire. It shattered against the back of the fire place and showered down on the fire. The fire turned a violent shade of purple.  
  
"You're a smart girl, despite what you say. You know for a fact that veritaserum turns fire purple like that when it is doused in veritaserum,"

  
  
Ginny only turned her head away. A sudden dread came over her. Draco stared down at her.  
  
"Ask me a question,"  
  
She resisted at first, but curiosity got the best of her, "Are you the father of Serena Bethany?"  
  
"Yes,"   
  
"And how is it that you are so sure?"  
  
"I found out before anyone that I was the father of your third child. But I was only 17 then as you well know. I didn't want to father a child. I was young, I was too busy achieving great heights, despite the War, to be stuck raising a child. So I tricked you into seeing a different outcome to the spell that tells who the father is. It wasn't that hard, considering that we shared the same blood."  
  
"Why are you doing this?"  
  
He smirked, "Because I want my daughter back. Because my mum is furious at Lucius and in turn is furious at me. Because I feel unsettled that my father is given the credit for something I created. Because I think she is beautiful and worthy enough to be a Malfoy. Because if she was my father's daughter, then she would be favored and receive the inheritance that I am about to receive. Because I need to pass the inheritance onto my own child when I in turn die. Because she's a pureblood. Because Voldemort's essence is in her veins. Because she is worthy to be called mine," he looked down at her, "and that's saying a lot considering you're the mother,"  
  
She spat at him. But he only flicked his wand and he was spotless and neat again. He bent down again. He traced her face with the tip of his wand. She wasn't sure if it was supposed to be adoringly or threatening, "And still, I am very much pleased that you are the mother and not some brainless bimbo like Pansy. Merlin, that girl is a menace. And besides, I like her feistiness; just like her mother." His words were sickeningly sweet sounding. It made her even more pissed off at him.   
  
"Did you ever love anyone?"  
  
"No," he stated shortly.  
  
"Did your father beat you?"  
  
"Yes," he said through clenched teeth. He had by now realized his mistake.   
  
"Does he still beat you?"  
  
"Yes,"  
  
"You are very stupid you know,"  
  
"Yes," he said again. But he said it with such seriousness that Ginny believed that he willingly told her the truth even without the veritaserum.

  
"Are you a a deatheater?"  
  
"Yes,"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because my father wanted me to be,"  
  
"And do you always listen to your father?"  
  
"Unfortunately," there was a hint in his voice that sounded like he deeply regretted it.  
  
He didn't move away as she continued to ask questions about his life. He seemed happy to have an excuse to just spill out all the horrible things that had happened to him.  
  
"Why did you hate Harry and Hermione and Ron and me?"  
  
"Because you royally pissed me off,"  
  
"What exactly do you think about Voldemort?"  
  
"I don't want to be a deatheater," now he just sat listlessly in the chair, answering questions that he didn't even try to resist. He didn't run out of the room and avoid the answers. He wanted to tell her.  
  
"What is one happy childhood memory before Hogwarts?"  
  
"Getting my first broom. Flying is the only thing that could ever console me."  
  
"What about during Hogwarts?"  
  
"The first night there. I was lying in bed. My happiest memory was realizing I was safe from my father and Voldemort. At least for 9 months."  
  
"Why are you named Draco?"  
  
"Because that was my fathers nickname when he went to school at Durmstrang. When he became a deatheater he was able to transfigure his mark into different shapes, like a tattoo. He came to like the dragon so much that he permanently transfigured it in so that in place with the skull, it was a dragon with crossbones. He was fond of his old nickname and when I was born, he insisted on naming me Draco. He said that he knew I would make a loyal deatheater." Draco scoffed. Ginny lay there in disbelief, well that certainly was interesting information.  
  
"Do you love Serena?"  
  
"Yes,"  
  
"Do you love me?"  
  
"No," something in her heart sank, "I wouldn't call it love. More like a great respect and admiration. I would call it... a great fondness and likeness because you are the mother of my child. But not love."  
  
"Well at least you're honest," she retorted sarcastically.  
  
"Scouts honor," he said, almost lazily, "anything else?"  
  
"Can I get a shot of that? I really think I should be drunk right now..."  
  
He turned back to staring at the glass again. He put in a drop of veritaserum and held it out to Ginny.  
  
She took it in her hands and cautiously took a sip.   
  
"Now we are both on equal ground,"  
  
"Hmm," she gave him a nasty smile that was more like a grimace. Then she downed the whole glass, and held it out to him. He refilled it and again she downed it and held it out. He gave her one more then took back the glass.  
  
"Now, now. I don't think you want to be totally wasted yet."  
  
"Oh, yes," she slurred slightly, "yes I do."  
  
"No, I'm particularly sure you want to hear that I just saved your life. And Serena's for that manor,"  
  
"What are you talking about?" She gazed up at him, her eyes slightly unfocused.  
  
"Lucius was just about to go himself and kidnap you and Serena and kill you. He couldn't have another child, it was against the Mrs. and Voldemort. But I have you, and he is not the father, so he doesn't have to kill you. But now I will be needing his money, now that I have a daughter to raise," he snapped his fingers and the door opened. Serena was shoved in. She fell to the floor, and slowly glanced up.   
  
"Mommy?" she whispered. She crawled over to her, and wrapped her arms around her, trying to find comfort and comfort her in return.  
  
"Dragon, release me," and with a flick of his wand she was released.  
  
Serena stared wide eyed at him, "Dragon," she breathed out the word. She knew this was her father.  
  
"Well now, isn't this just lovely. Our whole family happily reunited at last,"  
  
"If this is a happy reunion, bury me now," she rolled her eyes.  
  
"Yes, indeed," another flick of his wand and her mouth was magically sealed shut.  
  
"My dear Serena," he held open his arms, beckoning to her.  
  
"NO!" Ginny screamed through her closed lips. She struggled on the floor moved to stop Serena.  
  
"Dad? Are you my dad?"  
  
"Yes, sweetheart I am. Why don't you give your father a hug?"  
  
Serena hesitated. She looked down at her mother and back to the man who now claimed to be her father. She clutched the locket around her, seeking it's comfort, "You are not my daddy!" she screamed at him and flung herself at him, kicking and hitting, bitting and scratching. Draco simply lifted her up by the scruff of her shirt and dangled her. But she grabbed his arm and lifted herself to him and bit him.  
  
He yelled in pain and dropped her and she rushed to her mother's side. She opened the locket, and screamed, "DADDY!"  
  
***  
  
Harry was suddenly surrounded by her scream. The locket around his neck had flung open and Serena's voice shook around him. He had been laying at the tree hopelessly, caressing the bracelet that had graced Ginny's hand only hours before. Crying and plotting revenge, trying to think up a plan. The Weasley's had been searching franticly around for Ginny and Harry had gone off by himself to search and had found the little bracelet on the ground. It gave him a slight hope.  
  
Amidst the scream, he heard another voice. There was a sharp slapping noise and Serena's scream ceased. Then the locket on the other side slapped shut.   
  
But Harry had recognized the other voice at the other end, and he knew where they were.  
  
Without a moments hesitation or thought he disapperated.  



	8. Malfoy Manor

****

[ a/n: my version of a wizards duel… don't sue me…]

Strawberries

Malfoy Manor 

Harry apperated into the manor. At once he started calling out their names, "Ginny! Serena!" 

He heard crashing about him, and then the doors to his left and behind him flew open and masked death eaters came charging at him. He started dueling with the first one, immediately knocking him out with a jinx. He next screamed "partifices totalus!" at a nearby one and he went down, stiff as a bored. He made a cutting motion across the stomach of a third and dark blood came spilling out of him. He screamed in pain and he was replaced by many other death eaters gathering around him. He was trying to keep many at bay at once, but found that he couldn't for long. He made a slashing motion and he made a path in the deatheaters to a flight of stairs. He made a run for it, blasting hexes and jinxes randomly behind him and hearing bodies fall.

He called their names again, "Serena! Ginny!" and somewhere from above he heard a scream. He ran towards he, but was suddenly stopped short by something on his leg. He kicked the death eater right in the face with his foot and his mask came off, revealing Tomus Parkins, a Slytherin who had gone to school with him. He kicked him again and his nose started bleeding in which he let go. But Harry kicked him again, just for the heck of it and speed up the stairs, following Serena's and Ginny's calls.

***

There was much crashing down below and Ginny knew that someone unwelcome had arrived, "Harry!" she screamed, hoping with all her might it was him. She fought out of her binds and made a beeline to the door, "Harry!"

"Da-ddy!" Serena screamed and kicked more furiously at Draco who was trying to restrain her.

"Harry! Harry!" 

Draco let go of Serena, and went for Ginny. He was too far to catch her, and she was almost to the door. He threw a binding curse at her legs and she fell down. She clawed her way violently to the door but Draco had caught up to her, spun her around, and seethed through clenched teeth, "You aren't going anywhere!" But there was a sudden crash and the door flung open, narrowly missing Ginny's head.

"Mr. Malfoy! Harry Potter is on the loose in the manor!"

He sprang up and grabbed him by the neck, "Well, if he's lose, why the hell did you run all the way up here to tell me! GO BLOODY GET HIM!" and he threw him back out of the room. By now, Ginny had undone her bindings and had sprang up, protecting Serena behind her back. He slammed the door and locked it with a flick, turning back to them, eyes flashing dangerously.

"I save you and this is how you repay me, calling Mr. Boy-Who-Lived? Serpen sorcia!" He flung the snake at them, laughed as they backed into a corner, the snake advancing on them.

***

Harry ran down a dank corridor, not hearing the two's calls anymore. He called their names, opening doors and flinging them open to glance in, and seeing them not there, would continue down the corridor calling their names and opening other doors. He heard a crash from a room up above and ran to a nearby staircase. Deatheaters came swarming down in front of him. He was just about to turn and run the other way, but he heard Serena's desperate screams floating down from the staircase the deatheaters had just come out of and instead plunged right into the throng of them. Two went down immediately and Harry slashed another one across the chest with his wand, red sparks shooting out as it came in contact with him. He fell down, clutching the wound which was now spurting blood and after a few moments, fell still. But Harry didn't have time to think about him, he was surrounded by deatheaters who were all taking swings at him with their wands. He stabbed a death eater with his wand and pushed him out of the way, slashed another and pushed him out of the way as well. He did this and slowly made his was across the hall and into another corridor. By the time he made it across, he was cut and bloody and had 20 more deatheaters on his tail. He ran up the corridor and turned down another hall, calling, screaming for them. He blasted more deatheaters he saw swarming out of a hall in front of him and ran past them, flinging curses over his shoulder.

"Serena! Ginny!"

There was another high pitched scream, and Harry turned down another hall towards it. 

"Ginny! Serena! Serena! Where are you? Ginny!" He let fly a couple of curses behind him as he ran on. 

***

"Harry!" Ginny was screaming as she tried to keep away from it. She backed up into the small table where the amber liquid was sitting, and it spilled onto the floor, a dark spot seeping onto the rug and onto the stone floor, glass going everywhere. Draco laughed at her antics. 

"Hhhhhiiissssss…" the hiss hadn't come from the snake, it had come from Ginny. Draco stared at her incredulously. Ginny herself looked surprised, but soon recovered and hissed at the snake again menacingly. Draco was still staring, in denial. Ginny took a step toward it, eyes flashing; the snake stopped it's advancing and weaved back in forth in the air, it's tongue flicking in and out.

"Hiisssss, sshissss," Ginny looked down at Serena, who was hissing venomously at the snake.

The snake bobbed it's head up and down, seemed to back up. Ginny looked at her in surprise.

"It's okay mommy-"

"Bloody hell," Draco whispered under his breath, "You're both parseltongues," Ginny came out of her surprised state she hissed at Draco menacingly. Draco backed up slightly, "How-"

"Voldemort, in 1st year. When, my life force came rushing back to me, I must have inherited some of his powers as well…," she hissed again at him, advancing toward him and stepping past the snake. Serena followed her, picking the snake off the ground and cradling it in her hands, hissing softly to it, as if comforting it. "I found out about it when I ran across a garden snake in my garden in my 3rd year. I've known about it ever since. Serena must have inherited some of it-" she was standing right in front of him, staring at him definantly.

He looked down at her, and smiled. He gave a soft laugh.

He brought a finger up to her face and put it on her face, "You will never stop surprising me,"

"Never underestimate," she stepped out of his grip.

There was a crashing noise below them and yelling. Then the fire turned bright green and a face appeared there. 

"Mr. Malf-"

"I SAID-" he raged, flicking a blade that was laying on the floor, where it had fallen off the table, into the air with his foot where he caught it in his hand and threw it viciously at the head in the fire, "- GO BLOODY GET HIM YOU FUCKED UP SON OF A BITCH!" The blade flew at the fire, in it, and through it where it hit it's target which fell. He pulled out his wand violently and pointed it at Ginny, in a fury. Ginny backed up and stepped on the glass. She immediately toppled and fell right into the shattered bottle. She cried in pain, her skin seeping blood, cut and ripped. She struggled in the glass, desperately trying to move to console her wounds, and at the same time trying not to move to prevent from getting anymore.

Draco now turned to Serena who had backed into a corner after seeing Draco throw the blade into the fire. He advanced on her, and she desperately tried to push herself farther away and into the wall. He swiftly picked her up and threw her over his shoulder. She was screaming and kicking, crying. As her tears hit the floor they flared up in flames and then died, she was strong with magic.

"Daddy! Mommy! Mommy!" she reached toward her mom as Draco pulled her out the door and out of sight. But just before she did, she tore of her locket and threw it to her mom.

"Serena!" Ginny crawled out of the glass mess and to the door, knees and hands cut up. Ginny reached the locket and cradled it in her bloodied hands for a moment. Then she opened it.

***

"Harry!" 

Harry immediately grabbed at the locket bouncing on his neck.

"Ginny?"

"Draco's taken Serena! Please! Help her!"

"Where are you!"

"I don't know! A room inside the manor!"

"Yea? Me too! Surrounded by deatheaters. Could you be a little more specific about the room?"

He could hear her making whimpering noises, and for a while she didn't reply. Harry ran around straining his ears to hear her desperate sounds from around a corner and not from the little silver locket, but with not much luck because of the thousands of footsteps following him. 

"3rd floor, maybe 4th… in a room close to the garden. In the corridor-" he could hear her moving about, "Right outside there's a picture of a man holding up a sword- that's all I can really tell you-"

"Can you move?"

"Little bit-"

"Hold on, I'm coming,"

***

Harry ran down a flight of stairs, through a hall, to a big wood door. Harry pulled them open and closed them, putting a locking charm on it. With a long swing of his arm, the furniture in the room piled against the door. He then, aimed his wand and fired a blasting charm. The wall and furniture was ripped apart, hurled debris fell on the deatheaters and forced them to the ground where they lay still and didn't get up. There was a small cave in and stones fell, blocking remaining deatheaters from sight. And with that little obstacle in they're way, Harry flew out another door and down a corridor, screaming Ginny's name.

Then he heard it, "Harry!" 

He turned into another hall to the left and heard her voice clearer now. Down another corridor, and turned right, where he saw a bloody Ginny laying half in the corridor and half in a room, calling his Harry's name.

"Ginny!"

"Harry! Please Harry- Draco's taken Serena!"

Harry reached her and slide his arms under her. He sat down against the cold wall and held Ginny in his arms, trying to comfort her. She cried into his shirt, leaving stains; she wouldn't be pacified. 

"Please Harry! Serena-"

"I know, I know. Shh-" Harry pulled out his wand, also covered in blood, and whispered healing spells. He helped Ginny to her feet, but she swayed dangerously from loss of blood. But as soon as she recovered they were off down the corridor and racing for the nearest flight of stairs.

****

[sorry it took so long to update… my first finals are really starting to stress me out, hard to write… hope you liked… REVIEW! 

x chocolate ink and sugar quills]


	9. Garden of Lost Loved Souls

****

[more of my version of wizarding duels. i hope you like, i'm sorry it took so long. MY FINALS ARE OVER! 5 DAY WEEKEND! YAY!]

Strawberries

Garden of Lost Souls

Draco flung open the veranda doors, Serena struggling over his shoulder.

"Daddy!" she called out.

"Shut up!" he hissed at her. He looked left and right, over the millions of hedges making a maze around the vast garden. You could see white fountains and gazebos springing up in the sea of green. It had the look of abandonment, a slight faded, almost black and white look. Colored leaves littered the ground and the trees around it looked dead and sullen. 

It was a haunted garden.

Draco didn't hesitate, he ran head on into the garden; getting lost in it's many twists and turns of shrubs, Serena calling helplessly over his shoulder.

***

Ginny and Harry followed the trail of burn marks down to the 1st floor of the manor. They were lead outside and onto a patio overlooking a garden that seemed to stretch for miles and miles.

"Daddy!" They heard Serena crying out from somewhere in the maze of bushes.

"Serena!"

"Harry! Mommy! Hel-" she was cut short. 

"Come on!" Harry ran down the path that led into the bushes. The hedges were at least 12 feet tall, solid walls of green that were deeply rooted to the ground. 

"Reducto!" Harry tried to blast the hedge apart, but it was no good, the spell only bounced off and spiraled in another direction, "Damn!" Harry swore, he looked back to Ginny to see if she had any ideas.

She was bent over, inspecting something on the ground, "Harry, look," she pointed to small burn marks leading off to the left. Harry nodded and they followed it, Harry in the lead, wand out stretched.

"Serena! Serena!"

The chased around corners, seeming to go in dizzying circles; a claustrophobic path they followed farther and farther into the maze. 

Harry grew uneasy. Memories of the final task in his 4th year coming back to him; he hoped there weren't any monsters lurking around here.

They heard footsteps ahead and sped up to catch up to it. They turned left and right, following the sound. Another left and another, and then a right, following the weaving path after the foot falls. They came to a clearing with an huge stone statue of a nasty looking monster, but there was no one there. Harry looked around the statue, wand raised, ready to spring on Malfoy, but there was no one. The clearing was completely deserted and frighteningly quiet. The shadows seemed to grow longer in the dim overcast day; it gave the garden a washed look. It felt like he was in another one of those memories from Tom Riddle's diary, with monolithic green walls. Ginny's hair stuck out like a beacon on this dreary scene. 

It was eerie.

Ginny sidled closer to him, "Harry, I don't like this. It's like there is more then just us and Draco in here," she whispered it, as if afraid of something overhearing them.

"I know," he whispered back, peering cautiously around, straining his ears to hear movement. He heard the whip of a cloak and twirled around, peering down the dark path, "This way," he called softly to her, and set off running again. He ran in that general direction, but didn't hear anything but his and Ginny's footsteps.

There was the sound of a twig breaking, and he suddenly turned around, looking down a path to his left, and then peering down the one to his right. Ginny turned right.

"Ginny! What are you doing?" 

"I heard a brush rustle this way!"

"Didn't you hear that twig crack?"

"What? No! Look, it's this way! I just heard her!"

But he pulled her back to him, looking wildly around. When he looked at her, there was fear in his eyes, "This place is haunted," he whispered.

"That's no big deal, a couple of ghosts-"

"No," he cut in, "I mean, it's really haunted," he kept his voice low and steady, "We aren't supposed to be here-" 

There was the sound of someone weeping, a sickly adrenaline rushing noise that made Harry's heart beat a mile a minute.

Then silence. 

Ginny shifted closer to him, noticing how quiet it had gone and how the breeze made eerie noises in the hedges. There were small giggles coming from the left, and whispers coming from in front of them.

A sudden high pitched scream rang out in the silence, a girl crying bloody murder. Ginny jumped into Harry's arms. But as soon as it had started, it stopped.

"That wasn't Serena." Harry whispered, he looked up the path in front of him, "Come on, we've got to find her," He pulled her along, and she resisted slightly, "Come one, unless you want me to leave you here alone?" 

That got her, she immediately kept up with Harry, their shoulders brushing together, comforting each other. 

They ended up in another clearing, a dull, gray gazebo sat in the middle.

"There is a legend-" Harry and Ginny looked up. There, on top of one of the hedges sat Draco Malfoy, one leg hanging down lazily and the other one tucked beneath him. He was staring up at the sky, but never the less, the talk was directed at them. "-that says when you enter this garden, one in your party will never come out." He looked sharply down at them, "One of my grandfather's lover is trapped in here. You can here her footsteps and her soft giggles when the wind blows southeast. There's also Pamea, one of my older cousins who ran in here when she heard the loss of her fiancé, you can hear her crying as she wanders the garden. And Kilyla, who hung herself in this garden when she found her boyfriend with another women. There's also Hugert, who somehow sliced off his own head when _his_ fiancé died, and Larz who liked to cut his name into his lover's arms. Many of my relatives and others live in this garden you know. It's known as the Garden of Lost Loved Souls." 

"Where's Serena?" Harry's voice shook. Hearing these things greatly disturbed him and he no doubt believed Draco because he had heard these spectral sounds himself.

He smirked and sprang up, walking casually down the hedge, away from them, unworried about the drop below. He waved vaguely off toward his left, in answer to Harry's question. 

"Wingardium leviosa!" Harry swished and flicked his wand and felt himself rise up off the ground, landing not so gracefully on the ledge, which was much thinner then it had appeared from on the ground. Draco stared at him from across the gap of the path, cold, gray eyes furious. He leapt up and landed on the ledge Harry was on and thrust his wand at him. Harry narrowly blocked it, stepping backwards and tripping slightly as his foot caught the edge. Draco thrust again and Harry had to dodge out of the way and jumped jerkily onto another hedge, trying to stay upright on it. His arms flailed as he tried to steady himself.

Draco pounced again, jabbing Harry with his wand who narrowly blocked it. 

"Harry!" Harry gave Ginny a stern look and she understood. She ran the path and Harry saw her make her way left towards the center of the maze. 

But he was suddenly distracted because Draco was slashing, stabbing, swiping at him. Harry blocked them clumsily, not skilled in wizard's dueling. Draco however was steady and graceful, cutting the distance between him and the sudden drop as the hedge ended.

And Harry finally saw an opening in Draco's attack and swung. 

He never even got close to touching Draco, for he leapt back and threw a curse at him. Harry jumped to another hedge, loosing his balance, he jumped to another one. He finally managed to stay upright and looked back to meet Draco, but he was jumping away from him to the center of the garden. 

He tried to apperate, but found he couldn't; the maze was purposefully meant to get lost in. So Harry jumped after Draco, much slower then him, falling farther and farther behind.

***

Draco caught up to Ginny and leapt down in front of her. She crashed into his arms and he quickly mumbled a silencing charm and dragged her the last stretch to the center. She screamed silently, struggling in his grip, but then spotted Serena. She looked unconscious, laying on the steps of a great white gazebo, hands tied behind her back. Draco sat Ginny down beside her and conjured up magical binds, holding her to the spot.

"I'll go take care of little lover boy-" Draco suddenly lurched forward, falling over Ginny. He slumped unconscious next to her and looked up to find, to her horror, Lucius Malfoy, holding his wand threateningly.

"So, though you could fool me my little Dragon- I think not,"

He easily picked up Serena and flung her over his shoulder, and he magically lifted the binded Ginny into the air. She followed behind him as he stepped into the maze, the took a series of turns and they were suddenly in another clearing. He set her down and went about undoing the cords on both of them.

He knelt down in front of Serena, who had woken up and looked at him fearfully.

"My daughter," he rubbed her cheek in mock affection and she pulled away.

He laughed, "Yes, I think I'll kill Draco. The only reason he stays is for the money," he gave a sinister chuckle and stood up, "He'll make a fine addition to my garden, Draco, who tried to save his daughter from his father-"

"Draco- who's father thought he was the father of his child-"

Lucius whirled around, smirking.

"She is my daughter Lucius,"

He didn't respond, but gave him a condescending look.

"He's my father," said a small but clear voice.

They all whirled around to see Serena frowning slightly.

"What?" Lucius asked sharply, incredulously.

"I said, he's my father. But Harry's my daddy,"

They all stared at her again, and the 7-year-old rolled her eyes. They couldn't piece together the little girl's logic.

"Draco's my father, like he's your father. But Harry's my _daddy_," she said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, "obviously, Draco wouldn't call him-" indicated Lucius, "-daddy. He'd call him father,"

"She's brilliant" voiced Draco suddenly.

"I beg your pardon?" Lucius turned to him, confused.

"She's bloody brilliant!" and Draco scooped her up in her arms, hugging her. Serena hugged back hesitantly and Lucius and Ginny stared. Draco was laughing, "she's _brilliant_!"

Draco found he was fascinated with this little girl, the way her mind worked. She had rearranged it in her mind to her understanding. Harry had been an affectionate figure, a daddy. Draco had never been there, so she called him father, formally. She obviously didn't know the difference, or that there could only be one real 'father.' He found that he didn't want to let her go.

Ginny was surprised with the change of Draco. It had been in an instant, so suddenly and at the wrong moment.

"She's mine!" Lucius lunged, cutting a rip down Draco's back. Draco staggered, dropping Serena, and she crawled away fearfully. Lucius scooped her up and took off.

"No! Serena!" he quickly transfigured a nearby pot into a broom and took off after Lucius. Ginny followed, running.

***

"AAHHH!!" Draco leapt off his broom and landed on top of Lucius. Lucius crumbled, dropping Serena who squealed.

Lucius and Draco both rolled away, each had such a gracefulness about them, like cats.

Both drew their wands.

"I'm warning you boy,"

"That's a first, never warned me before- never really cared,"

Lucius struck, bringing his wand down and Draco leapt out of the way, spinning. Draco thrust his wand at him and were soon engaged in quiet a duel. Each had such grace and struck with such accuracy, it must have been choreographed. Serena had crawled away out of the battle and now watched as her grandfather and father dueled viciously. Ginny rounded the corner, as Harry jumped down from a hedge, and saw them. They both ran to Serena wrapping her in her arms and running to another path.

"They're getting away!" and Lucius viciously stabbed at Draco. 

And Lucius saw a look come over Draco, and he looked longingly back at them before turning to his father, eyes flashing, "Let them," He stabbed, and Lucius blocked. 

"No! Father!" Serena cried, tears starting to slip down her face.

Draco had slightly pained look in his eyes as she said 'father.'

A burst of fire suddenly flared up from where the drop had fallen, the flame catching a near by hedge. In no time, it was climbing up it's green branches and making it's way down the hedge, spreading.

"Serena! Go!" Draco shouted over to them, blocking Lucius' attack.

"No!" Lucius tried to side step Draco, but he stepped in front of him, blocking his way. The flames that danced dangerously around them reflected in Draco's eyes. Lucius had never seen anything like it.

"You will never lay a hand on her!"

And Draco jabbed at him, catching him in the shoulder. Lucius staggered back, but was just as quickly attacking, catching Draco in the side. Draco struck with furious swipes, angrily, letting tears he had never but once in his life time fall.

It was then that Lucius realized that Draco was the father.

"Go!" he yelled at Serena, but she didn't move. Ginny had scooped her up in her arms and was pulled away by Harry.

"No! Dragon! Father!"

And that was the last she saw of him, quickly lost between the flames.

The whole garden burned.

__

Legend says that when you enter the Garden of Lost Loved Souls, one in your party will never come out…

****

[REVIEW!]


	10. Epilogue: The Malfoy Heir

Strawberries

Epilogue

Things had started to finally return to normal again, if you could ever call their lives normal.

Ginny was currently working at a nice little café around the corner from the shelter, and Serena was going to a muggle school farther down the street,. After school, her mother would walk her down to the day care and spend her break with the other children before returning to work. Harry would take Serena home and Ginny would stop by an hour later for dinner. It was a nice arrangement, and thing started to fall back into routine.

Ginny and Harry were officially together and Harry was planning to propose to her soon.

It had been headline news for almost two weeks now. The Malfoy manor had been burned down with the family inside. Curiously, while Narcissa's body had been found neither Lucius' or Draco's were. It was reported that the fire had been started by magic, though what kind was unsure. The deaths of the Malfoy's had the whole Ministry in an uproar, and was suspected to be arson, but there was no proof. It was reported that the fire had started in their garden, The Garden of Lost Loved Souls, that was said to be 'haunted.' The news papers made the whole garden thing seem like a joke, as nobody in the wizarding world really took anything to be 'haunted' seriously. There was also the fact that the family had been rather involved with the minister for their 'special services.' Fudge was most displeased when all their 'service' had disappeared with their deaths. The whole thing was so sudden and made no sense, it had left the whole wizarding world shocked and puzzled.

There had been a picture of the house, nothing left but rubble ad ash. But what was most surprising was that even though the garden was dead and burned, the hedges still stood, only the twisted branches of the once lush leaves, left. The Garden of Lost Loved Souls lived on for another family to buy the land and rebuild the house, there forever more.

It was most curious when an owl suddenly landed on the open window sill in the little muggle café where Ginny now worked. She was in the back room, and the windows were now flung open to let in the soft breeze that swirled the curtains. It gave a hoot and Ginny looked up from the receipts she was looking at. She looked back through the window behind the counter where her boss was working, fearful that she might have heard. Ginny quickly rushed to the window and took the letter from the owl, who suddenly took flight again. Ginny watched it go, puzzled that she would be receiving mail at this time. But she didn't have time to read it, her boss had come back into the room with a bunch of boxes, stacking them neatly in the corner. Ginny slipped the letter into her pocket and smiled at her boss, a lovely plump women who reminded her of her mother.

"Come on Ginny, I need some help!"

Ginny smiled and walked back to the front of the shop to help.

Ginny only remembered the letter when she was on her break, slipping the green apron off her. She took a look at the letter again, curious. She called to Ms. Ginger, her boss, that she was taking her break and walked out the door into the sunshine. It was only a couple of blocks to Serena's school, and was about to open it when graceful, spidery, green penmanship appeared on the letter.

To Ms. Ginerva Molly Weasley and Serena Bethany Malfoy

She almost missed the curb of the road, and stumbled. Nobody but Harry had known who Serena's father had been. She remembered back to the article that had been in the Daily Prophet when the wizarding world first found out about the Malfoy's deaths. It had said that Narcissa's body had been found, but not Lucius' or Draco's. Was it possible they, or one, of them were still alive?

She thought about not opening it, maybe it was a trap? Ginny felt the letter, running it between her palms, checking to see if she could feel anything unusual.

She did.

She pressed the paper of the letter so see the outline of the shapes inside. There were four lumpy objects in the envelope, three of which looked like keys. The other one was impossible to tell.

Why would the Malfoy's send her keys?

It was when she was in view of Serena's school that curiosity got the better of her. She opened the envelope and the four objects, three of which were keys and a ring, dropped to the ground. Ginny carefully bent down, examining them, she didn't know if she should touch them. It looked curious, that Ginny should be bent over a couple of keys and a ring on the ground in the middle of a muggle neighborhood. Seeing as they didn't appear to be dangerous she quickly picked them up, slipping them into her pocket. She walked the rest of the way to Serena's school and found her waiting there for her as always.

"What's wrong mum? You look like you've seen a ghost,"

"What?" Ginny looked confused.

"Ok, wrong wording, you look like you've just seen You-Know-Who again," at this, Ginny did pale.

"Sorry, sorry," Serena mumbled, "What's wrong?"

"I'm not quiet sure yet-" Ginny started. She looked around to see if anyone was looking. Ginny bent down and whispered in Serena's ear, "You're father or your grandfather may still be alive-"

Serena gasped, and stared with a mixture of horror and happiness.

"Come on- let's go find somewhere to sit, so we can sort this all out,"

Obediently, Serena took Ginny's hand and they crossed the street. They found themselves in a park, on a bench a few minutes later. Ginny put the keys in Serena's hand and she looked up at Ginny with questioning eyes. Ginny shrugged and pulled the envelope out of her pocket. She carefully slipped the crisp parchment out of the envelope. A little piece of paper fluttered to the ground, nothing written on it. Ginny suspected it was important and put it in her lap as she looked over the official looking letter.

It was Draco's Will.

He had left everything to Serena, including the Malfoy inheritance (enclosed with a Gingotts key), an estate in Wands eye (another key), a summer home in Mountain's Keep (another key), and a silver and green ring bearing the Malfoy crest on it.

"What is it?" Serena asked. And suddenly, "Mum- look," she said it gently. And Ginny did, following Serena's eyes to the ripped piece of parchment that had been in her lap.

Now written there in bright green ink was:

I hope these tings can be put to good use for Serena All my Love

**[Fin]**

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just fyi, i changed Ginny's name from Virginia to Ginerva because I read it was so off mugglenet.com...

hope you liked! PLEASE REVIEW!


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